Kizomba Crash Course with Kizomba RDU
Kizomba is a partnered dance heating things up on the dance floor! With origins from Angola, Kizomba is focused on the connection between you, your partner and the music. Whether you want to learn Kizomba for the first time or improve what you've already learned, this progressive 4 week course is designed to take your Kizomba to the next level - with emphasis on Kizomba foundations, proper technique and body movements for dancing Kizomba, and fun combinations to enhance your social dancing!
Over the 4 weeks, we will cover footwork technique and patterns designed to fit your progression and to give you a well rounded Kizomba experience. Class instruction and exercises will be taught during the first hour with a 1 hour practica after each class to practice what you have learned and ask questions to fine tune your movements and technique.
Throughout the 4 weeks, we will also introduce elements of Neo Kizomba™ - developed by Charles Ogar - in preperation for #NeoKiz Weekender being held in the Raleigh/Durham area Sept 20 - 21 by Kizomba RDU.
Dates: Mondays in August - Aug 4, 11, 18 and 25
Time: 7:30pm - 9:30pm (1 Hour Class + 1 Hour Pratica)
Location: 10300 Pine Lakes Court, Raleigh, NC (Ashley Park @ Brier Creek Clubhouse and Gymnasium)
Instructors: Kimberly Nicole, Correai Moore and Rachel Meth
Cost: $40 for 4 week cycle/ $15 Drop-In
Week 1 (Mon. Aug. 4) - Art of Connection
Week 2 (Mon. Aug. 11) - Musicality and You
Week 3 (Mon. Aug 18) - Intro to Saidas
Week 4 (Mon. Aug. 25) - Saidas and More
- All levels welcomed
- No partner necessary
- No experience necessary
Note: Salsa/Ballroom shoes are not required. Wear comfortable shoes that do not grip the floor.
** Bonus ** If you register and attend all 4 weeks of the class cylce, you will be able to attend a special 1 hour session with Charles Ogar during #NeoKiz Weekender - included in cost of Crash Course registration.
CLASS DESCRIPTIONS
- Week 1: “Art of Connection” – Kizomba is a sensual partner dance that is a beautiful dance to experience because of its strong emphasis on connection with your partner that is unlike any other. This class will focus on exercises to achieve greater connection with your partner while dancing the basic steps of Kizomba.
- Week 2: “Musicality and You” – Kizomba is a “freestyle” dance, in which you let the music flow through you. As you feel the music, the music inspires your steps while focusing on the connection with your partner. This class will introduce movements and patterns to add to your basics that will allow you to achieve fluidity while dancing Kizomba.
- Week 3: “Intro to Saidas” – The Saida or “exit” is a trademark of Kizomba dancing. Discover Men’s and Women’s saidas, as we navigate the difference between outside partner steps and exiting in Kizomba. This class will focus on the technique behind leading and following saidas and teach fun patterns so this movement can become a staple in your dancing.
- Week 4: “Saidas and More” – Kizomba dancing is full of many possibilities - with the Saida being at the center of creating a beautiful dance. This class will build upon what you learned in Week 3 by incorporating variations of footwork and styling options for both saidas.
ABOUT KIZOMBA RDU
Kizomba RDU is working hard to promote Kizomba throughout the Raleigh-Durham area with lessons, events and workshops with visiting instructors to help nurture the growth of the dance and music.
Meet the Instructors:
Kimberly Nicole
Kimberly Nicole has had a passion for dance since childhood. She began dancing at age three and continued her studies throughout high school and college. Originally from outside of Buffalo, NY, Kimberly Nicole focused her earlier training on jazz, tap, and ballet, later expanding to hip-hop and modern. For several years, she performed and competed both locally and regionally as a member of one of Western New York’s premiere dance studios, as well as choreographed routines for herself and others competing in local pageants throughout Western New York. She later went on to minor in Dance Studies at Elon University. As a young adult, Kimberly Nicole has broadened her dance repertoire outside of formal studio training and has fallen in love with Afro & Latin social dancing - salsa (on1 and on2), bachata, cha cha, and now Kizomba and Semba. Kimberly Nicole loves how Kizomba emphasizes and explores the connection between yourself, your partner, and the music. She has traveled extensively to learn and train from some of the best Kizomba instructors from around the world. As a founding member of Kizomba RDU, Kimberly Nicole is excited to spread the “Kizomba Love” throughout the Raleigh-Durham area.
Correai Moore
Correai is a native of Kinston, NC who has been involved with Latin social dancing since 1999. He first danced and performed locally in Greenville NC before training with the Mambo Dinamico Dance Company in Morrisville, NC. As part of this dance company he has performed at the New York, DC, Atlanta, and Orlando Salsa Congresses as well as other festivals along the east coast.
An avid social dancer, his teaching specialty is NY Style (On2) salsa but has also danced and taught L.A. (On1) style as well as merengue, bachata, and pachanga. To round out his cycle of dancing, Correai has fallen in love with Kizomba because it is dance focused on connection. "There's nothing truer than a pure connection between people and dance," says Correai. Kizomba allows him to be rooted and centered within the confines of basic rhythms.
Rachel Meth
Rachel is a dancer and instructor who embodies the essence of deep connection, joy, sensuality, technique, and self-expression in both her dancing and teaching style. She began her journey as a dancer and fitness instructor when she was certified in Zumba Fitness back in 2007. She has since been studying, dancing, and teaching fitness and Latin and Brazilian dance classes throughout the US and South America where she discovered and trained in the dynamic and sensual dance of Lambada Zouk, and later, in the Angolan dance of Kizomba. She has also instructed at various dance congresses including Charlotte Bachata & Salsa Festival, The Grand Canyon Salsa Festival, the Albuquerque Latin Dance Festival, and the Dances of Love Festival Hawaii. As a middle school teacher, Rachel has organized dance classes and organizations in various schools with the passionate belief in dance as a means of building community, relationships, and self-awareness. She is the founder of Zouk and Kizomba Hawaii, and organizes the Dances of Love Festival Hawaii, Hawaii's first Zouk, Kizomba, Bachata, and Wellness Festival. She currently resides in Durham, North Carolina where she is teaching and organizing her non-profit organization, Embodied Dance.
CONTACT INFROMATION
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 919-322-9114
Facebook: www.facebook.com/KizombaRDU